PRETORIA, South Africa, April 3, 2018/ — Minister Mokonyane has noted reports from a local broadcaster and some international news agencies which continue to use an apartheid era narrative to cast aspersions on the revolutionary character of Mama Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

The narrative is not only a mischievous distortion, it is devoid of truth and a clear example of the lack of journalistic research amongst the media establishment. The attempt to present the legacy of this great liberation struggle stalwart as a compromised and divisive history is reminiscent of the stratcom strategy to undermine what was a fight by Mama Winnie and her generation against a brutal apartheid regime whose killing machinery found enemies in children and adults alike on the sole basis of them being black.

In addition to the apartheid era style distortion, the narrative on the liberation stalwart is also grossly gendered and seeks to cast aside that Winnie Mandela was a freedom fighter first and foremost and not merely a wife to our leader Nelson Mandela.

“Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, was her own person. The notion of boxing her as former President Mandela ex’s wife is unfortunate and deliberately intended to undermine the woman, Winnie Mandela” said Minister Nomvula Mokonyanye.

Publication houses and media outlets would do well to heed these salient remarks by Mam’ Winnie , who said “I said I was not going to bask in his shadow and be known as Mandela’s wife, they were going to know me as Zanyiwe Madikizela. I fought for that. I said, I will never even bask in his politics. I am going to form my own identity because I never did bask in his ideas.”

To this end media houses ought to report with the requisite sensitivity, historical facts and respect for the family and the millions of South Africans who through her efforts and fearless fight against apartheid won their freedom against oppression.